Sunday, December 18, 2022

New URI-led initiative will provide rapid response, funds to support Rhode Island seafood industry

First aid for flounders

Dave Lavallee

A new initiative, spearheaded by University of Rhode Island Professor Marta Gomez-Chiarri, will fund research – industry teams to address challenges faced by the seafood industry in Rhode Island.

The new Partnership for Research Excellence in Sustainable Seafood (PRESS) is a $1 million, four-year effort, established through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and made possible through federal funding secured by U.S. Sen. Jack Reed.

“Sustainable seafood is good for our economy and the environment,” Reed said. “I am proud to have secured $1 million for this exciting new program that will benefit Rhode Island’s aquaculture industry, wild-caught fisheries, and the state’s sustainable seafood sector.

“From disease management to food safety to water quality, URI’s new PRESS program will address an array of critical seafood issues and serve as an important hub for research and development.  This federal earmark will help URI grow our blue economy, enhance food security, and promote ocean conservation,” said the senator, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.

The program aims to identify issues of concern and to respond directly with grants funded through a rapid response mechanism. A coordinating committee most familiar with these issues includes academic institutions; state, federal and non-governmental agencies; and industry experts in fisheries, aquaculture, and seafood in Rhode Island.

Gomez-Chiarri, a professor of fisheries and aquaculture, will be guided by the committee in connecting researchers with industry members to team up to address emerging challenges and ongoing critical issues facing the fisheries, aquaculture, and seafood sectors in Rhode Island.

Seafood consumption in the United States has been on the rise, with demand expected to grow 60% by 2050. While the potential is great, this increase in seafood production and consumption is also threatened by weaknesses in processing and distribution chains. These challenges are further exacerbated by unexpected or unexplained events such as harmful algal blooms, disease, or area closures.

“As researchers at a land grant and sea grant institution, we are often approached by industry hoping to develop solutions to challenges they face,” Gomez-Chiarri said. “This initiative will allow us to quickly respond to these challenges with effective research, education, and technology tools created by teams of scientists and industry experts working together.”

The objectives of the project are to identify emerging issues affecting seafood production; develop a research innovation and idea incubator driven by stakeholder input; develop or enhance workforce training and educational portals; and transfer technology to improve industry sustainability. This project will provide a model for addressing future challenges to seafood security in the U.S.

The effort is a collaboration of the University of Rhode Island and local stakeholders in the seafood sectors, administered through Rhode Island Sea Grant. For more information, please visit https://web.uri.edu/cels/press/ or email PRESSProject@uri.edu.